Red
by WolfieRed23
Summary: Love is strong, it usually leads you to who you're meant to be with. But when you're Noctis Lucis Caelum or Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, your love life can be a little complicated. Especially when you fall in love before you discover you're betrothed to someone else. Find out the past of Noctis and Nova and Solis and Lunafreya before Final Fantasy XV: Fighting Fate. Noctis/OC Luna/OC.


**Hey guys! So, this story is a late Christmas present to my best friend on this website, EmeraldWings1992, and a thanks to the one shot they wrote for me for Christmas. Thanks again, Emerald!**

 **So, this is a prequel to my story Final Fantasy XV: Fighting Fate. It's meant to show the past of Noctis, Luna and my OCs, Nova and Solis. There are slight spoilers for my other story but nothing huge cause I'm saving that for the main story. Unless you spot them for yourselves. The song, which inspired this, is Red by Taylor Swift, a male cover and the original respectively. I hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

 _Losing her was blue_

 _Like I've never known_

 _Missing her was dark gray_

 _All alone_

 _Forgetting her was like_

 _Trying to get know somebody you've never met_

 _Loving her was_

 _Red_

* * *

The first time Noctis Lucis Caelum met Novalee Lux Venefica, he was barely a couple months old.

His first memory of her is when he nicknames her Nova because he can't say Novalee.

The nickname sticks.

She never remembers who came up with her nickname, never remembers that first meeting.

All she remembers is a feeling of warmth.

* * *

When they're still young, Noctis begins training to become king someday while Nova begins training to become the Enchantress.

He could care less about his lessons at times.

She is determined to master her powers.

They both feel the weight of duty on their shoulders.

* * *

When they first become friends, he is leaving for his first day of school. The car doesn't leave when he's buckled up.

"What's wrong?" He asks.

"We're waiting for one more." The driver answered.

"Sorry for making you wait!" A voice cried.

Noctis turned and watched as the light brown haired girl steps into the car and turns to face him.

"Prince Noctis? You're going to school too?" She asks.

"Yeah, um…Nova, right?" He asks to be sure. She nods with a smile. "Call me Noct."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay!"

He feels something flip in his stomach at her smile. He decides he likes it.

She calls him Noct even in formal events. It makes her happy that he trusts her to call her a friend.

* * *

He realizes he likes her as more than a friend when he's twelve.

They've been best friends for years now. It's only now that he realizes she's different from him in more ways than one. She's a girl and a lot prettier, in his opinion, then all the other girls in school. Her heart is good and pure. She deserves no pain or sadness.

Then it happens.

When she is bullied for the Enchantress tattoo that is forming on her right shoulder by some girls, he realizes he never wants to see her cry like that again.

This leads to many other realizations that, once he mentions them to Ignis, make him realize he _likes_ her, his best friend, his future Enchantress.

She realizes it much sooner when she mentions to her mother, Genetrix Lux Venefica, that Noctis protected her from bullies.

Genetrix says that's how she met Nova's father, Alexandros Lux Venefica.

She thinks about how Noctis' smile makes her feel, how strong he is and yet he's so gentle with her. She never realized these weren't friendly feelings.

* * *

When they enter high school, Nova changes.

She still hangs out with Noctis and their new friend, Prompto, but she acts different and starts hanging out with this one boy Noctis doesn't like. He doesn't even bother remembering the guy's name.

Noctis doesn't seem to like her so she turns her attention to the new boy at school that finds her heritage, her powers, cool and starts to talk to him. Feelings for the prince are pushed aside. After all, he doesn't care about her the way she cares about him.

When the two start dating, Noctis cuts contact off from Nova.

Prompto teases him for being jealous. Ignis shoots him looks at dinner when Nova stops dropping by his apartment. Noctis remains silent and simply trains harder than ever.

Nova misses Noctis and, by association, their friends. The guy she's dating is nice, as are his friends, but it isn't the same. She wants Noctis and her friends back.

But she won't go crawling back. After how Noctis cut her off, he'll have to beg her to come back.

The relationship between Nova and the guy doesn't last long but she doesn't return to Noctis. Prompto tries to get her to but she refuses. She won't speak to Ignis. Gladiolus doesn't understand why she's acting the way she is.

* * *

By the end of their first year, Noctis came begging for her to forgive him, just like she thought.

"I need you by my side, okay? Please come back."

It takes a month for her to actually forgive him.

"Stop being an idiot, okay? I forgive you."

Thanks to Prompto, within another month they are dating.

* * *

A year later, Noctis whispers two words in her ear.

"Marry me?"

The wedding is simple, her parents, his dad and a priest.

Not long after, her mother dies. He worries for her more than ever.

* * *

The year of their twentieth birthdays, their marriage is annulled.

Noctis wants to protest.

Nova simply requests the marriage is annulled.

After all, a betrothed man shouldn't be married to another woman.

Gladiolus questions Noctis why he's acting so pissed off.

Prompto shoots Noctis concerned looks all the time.

Ignis tries to silently assure the prince everything will be okay.

Noctis doesn't speak for a long while.

Nova disappears from the group.

* * *

When Alexandros questions his only daughter, she answers,

"I'm fine Dad. I have my duty to perform and he has his. Besides, it never would've worked out."

She faces away from her father so he can't see the tears falling down her cheeks. She feels like she's breaking but she'll put herself back together. She has to.

* * *

Chiara and Dante watch her and ask their grandfather what's going on. Neither receives an answer.

* * *

Noctis feels like a knife is in his heart. He can't forget her even though he knows he has to marry Luna. And he will. But his heart will always belong to Nova.

But for now, duty outweighs the heart.

* * *

The first time Solis Praesidio met Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, she's being tutored and his father, an advisor to the king of Tenebrae, introduces him.

They're the same age but she seems so much smarter and more important.

But she's the princess and he's simply an advisor-in-training. They each have their own duty to fulfill.

She thinks he's interesting but he's swept away by his father before she can say anything besides hello.

* * *

When Solis and Lunafreya become friends, it's not exactly legal.

She's in the garden. He just happens to find her, honestly. But as soon as she sees him, she jumps at him.

"Can you help me see the market?" She asks.

He's so confused, he doesn't answer.

She explains she wants to see the market but needs his help getting there.

He agrees and she smiles brightly.

* * *

Their day at the market makes them friends, even when they have to outrun the guards at the end of the day to return Lunafreya to the castle.

After that, they are no longer Solis and Lunafreya.

They are Lis and Freya.

Lunafreya had never felt so happy and she tells Solis this.

They take to sneaking out once every two weeks.

The guards catch on but they do nothing to stop them.

It's the only time the eventual best friends have together.

"Promise me we'll always be together?"

"I…I promise…"

* * *

When Noctis and Regis come to Tenebrae, Solis realizes he likes Lunafreya.

Seeing her with Noctis makes him so mad, but he doesn't know why. They're only friends.

When Lunafreya smiles at him and his heart picks up, he understands.

He plans not to say a word.

* * *

"Is something wrong, Lis?"

"No, Freya. I'm…I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm sure."

* * *

When Solis stays by her side when Niflheim attacks, Lunafreya realizes she doesn't want to lose him.

He's not just her best friend anymore. She doesn't know when it happened.

* * *

Ravus disapproves but allows Solis to protect his sister.

Lunafreya watches excitedly as Solis begins to invent his backpack.

He has little success at first.

"Dammit!"

"I believe in you, don't give up."

When he succeeds, she kisses him.

Neither planned on that.

* * *

Solis spends a year avoiding her then. Lunafreya cries into her pillow every night because it feels like he's rejecting her before she has a chance. Then she tries to forget him. He does the same because she could never love him.

It doesn't work at all.

They come back together sooner than they thought. It's like no time had passed at all.

* * *

When they're older, they are married under the empire's radar.

Not even Ravus knows.

Lunafreya whispers,

"I regret nothing."

"I love you." Solis answers.

It's how he assures her that they are together in this.

* * *

When news of her betrothal comes, their marriage is annulled. It's like they're avoiding each other all over again.

Lunafreya tries to regret their time, but she can't. She never could and would never be able to. He was the best thing to happen to her, that's why she wanted to talk to him in the first place.

Solis knows why they're doing this; duty comes before all things, including their relationship. That's why he shouldn't have gotten involved with her in the first place. But his heart spoke before he could.

* * *

In her room, with a young girl named Estella watching her, Lunafreya whispers,

"I love you."

* * *

In his study, checking his backpack again, Solis whispers,

"I regret nothing."

* * *

When Solis is sent to help escort Noctis, it's like the final nail in the coffin.

* * *

As they enter the car, Solis catches the eye of Nova.

Some kind of understanding passes between them in that moment.

Noctis avoids both of them by sleeping most of the trip.

* * *

When Lunafreya reaches Insomnia, she holds her head high and smiles, the perfect bride-to-be. But Alexandros notices how the Oracle looks as if she is hiding her tears.

It's a look he recognizes from his own daughter, from the prince and from the escort.

It's the look of someone who is in love but was torn apart by fate.

Alexandros prays Fate saves these four from their agony.

* * *

Fate listens, though nobody knows.

They think everything is fine.

Then it all goes wrong.

But to Fate, this is finally right.

* * *

 _Losing him was blue_

 _Like I've never known_

 _Missing him was dark gray_

 _All alone_

 _Forgetting him was like_

 _Trying to get to know somebody you've never met_

 _Loving him was_

 _Red_

* * *

As Prince Noctis, Lady Novalee, Lady Lunafreya and Sir Solis took the first step on their journeys, they prepared for heart break.

What Fate gave them was a chance.


End file.
